This invention relates generally to a portable voice studio system, and more particularly, to a system and method for controlling the electronic reproduction of a human voice.
In the music industry, recording studios are used to adjust, amplify, enhance, control and otherwise affect either the audio portion of a multimedia event or a production, which is solely audio, such as a song or composition. Recording studios perform audio “tasks” (such as equalization, reverberation, etc.) and edit a digital waveform to produce an interesting effect. Because of the processing capability of the recording studio, a digital waveform can be easily modified prior to playing back the signal and new sounds can be generated that are variations on the original audio. Alternatively, the signal can be enhanced or improved by digital processing techniques to eliminate imperfections in the original sound. While high quality musical recordings can be produced by mixing sound from different sources in a professional sound recording studio, access to such studios is often limited and the cost of renting a recording studio is extremely high. This limits the opportunities of a singer to practice while be able to utilize the processing capabilities of a recording studio.
Moreover, during a live performance, the audio signals produced by the performers, for example through singing or playing a musical instrument, are typically controlled by a sound board. The sound board receives the audio signals produced by the performers, processes the signals, and generates a signal output. The signal output is transmitted to several audio speakers that produce a sound from the signal output. The sound is the music being generated by the performers. Typically, these speakers are positioned in close proximity to the performers and direct the musical sound toward the performers such that the performers are able to hear what the audience is also hearing. The sound board and stage speaker arrangement does not allow an individual performer to control the sound level of his or her performance, nor does it allow an individual performer to control the sound level of the other performers on stage. Consequently, a performer may experience difficulties hearing themselves sing or play a musical instrument because of the sound level of the other performers. In addition, a performer is not able to adjust or control the sound of his or her performance independently from the sound board in a convenient and portable manner.